MONTBLANC

Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum

June 12, 2017

Montblanc continues its longstanding partnership with UNICEF to support child literacy and education programmes for children all over the world with two special limited edition Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum timepieces. Each timepiece purchased from the Montblanc for UNICEF collection will raise the amount that will be donated towards providing over five million children access to primary education

Partners for education

Since 2004, Montblanc has donated over 10 million USD to numerous UNICEF programmes across the world to support UNICEF in fighting against illiteracy. This year Montblanc will team up with UNICEF once again to advocate for quality education and improved learning outcomes in countries around the world.

The written word has the power to leave a lasting imprint on every child who is given access to quality education. Bound by the common belief that education is a force for good that can end generational cycles of poverty, Montblanc is renewing its long-time partnership with UNICEF by introducing two special UNICEF limited editions of the Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum, highlighting the essence of writing with two different dials depicting the Latin alphabet and Chinese characters.

Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum UNICEF

Embodying the organization’s global presence as well as providing useful functionality and innovative design to cosmopolitan watch connoisseurs, the Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum was chosen for the UNICEF collaboration. Named after the Latin Orbis Terrarum, which translates as earth, the timepiece tells the time in 24 time zones in an intuitive way, thanks to a manufacture worldtime complication developed by Montblanc’s master watchmakers.

Twenty-four time zones around the globe

The dials of the Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum UNICEF editions are constructed out of multiple layers, starting with the main sapphire crystal disc that displays the continents as viewed from the North Pole, and the names of the 24 cities representing the different time zones. Paying tribute to UNICEF Headquarters, the city of Geneva has been chosen on the sapphire disc as UTC+1. The continents are cut out from the rest of the disc that shows the oceans in a light blue colour. A second disc indicates the passing of day and night with a dark blue for the night and a gradient of yellow and green for the day. This disc also includes the 24- hour ring that indicates the different times in the 24 cities. The central hour and minute hands indicate the local time of the city set in front of the red triangle at 6 o’clock, while the current time across the world’s remaining time zones is indicated on the 24-hour ring that runs around the outside of the dial.

Traveling in time

To adjust the time, the local time city first needs to be positioned in front of the red triangle at 6 o’clock via the pusher at 8 o’clock. Then the hours and minutes (which are always linked with the day/night and 24-hour time zone disc) can be adjusted through the crown to set the correct local time. Once this is completed, the time in all 24 time zones will be simultaneously displayed around the dial. When travelling to another time zone, the new destination city simply needs to be aligned at 6 o’clock. This adjustment is again done through the pusher at 8 o’clock, which automatically turns the hour hand, continents, cities, day/night disc and 24-hour time zones along with it. The hour hand jumps in one-hour increments without affecting the precision of the minutes. Once this easy regulation is carried out, the local time of the new destination, as well as the 24 time zones, are fully synchronized.

The codes of fine watchmaking

The UNICEF special editions express the codes of fine watchmaking in every detail: 41 mm polished stainless steel cases with refined straight lines, vertically descending flanks with horizontal satin finishing that beautifully contrast with the polished case, a thin round bezel, anti-reflective domed sapphire crystal, finely curved horns, faceted hands in the classic dauphine shape, and a crown with the Montblanc emblem in raised relief against a satinated background.

Special editions for a better future

Each of the two timepieces in the Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum UNICEF Editions is limited to 500 pieces and adorned with UNICEF’s logo on the caseback. They are also fitted with alligator leather straps inspired by UNICEF’s unique shade of blue, further reinforcing the partnership with this world famous organization. Together, Montblanc and UNICEF are committed to improving learning for over five million children across the world with better educational tools and quality instruction.